A fifth grade chorus from Staten Island is heading to the Academy Awards. The 65 students at P.S. 22 will be performing at the Feb. 27 ceremony in Los Angeles.
The famed school chorus boasts millions of YouTube page views and was honored as Artist of the Year at the annual Webby Awards this past summer.
In December, actress Anne Hathaway came to the school's winter concert to invite the chorus to perform at the Oscars. Hathaway will be co-hosting the awards.
The chorus has previously performed at the White House.
Choir master Greg Breinberg tells the Wall Street Journal that P.S. 22 didn't have a music program when he was hired 12 years ago.
Eleven-year-old Naseem Barnett says the chorus has helped students to "unlock'' their potential.
"It was emotional mayhem. It was wonderful. It was chaos, but the most wonderful kind you could imagine," chorus director Breinberg said after Hathaway's surprise visit. "They just barreled into me and hugged me... It was one of the most gratifying moments in my career."
Hathaway, a Brooklynite by birth, is also a huge fan of the New York public school choir.
"I've been watching the PS 22 choir on YouTube for about two years now and you guys brought such joy to my heart" Hathaway told the students.
